Veggie Choices: Family's fresh take on Old Mexico

Local produce, vegan dishes are priorities at Rancho Cocina

The old-Mexico feel of Ranchos Cocina belies its cutting-edge culinary philosophy. With a menu of lard-free beans alongside a variety of vegan, vegetarian and meat dishes, the restaurant also emphasizes fresh, locally grown produce.

Also surprising is that the concept started at the first Ranchos Cocina in Ocean Beach in the mid-1990s. Even in 2001, when the North Park site opened, this approach for Mexican restaurants was unusual. The two are separate entities now, due to amicable divorce proceedings between Marcos (Ocean Beach) and Ivonne Mouet (North Park).

Ivonne Mouet, with the help of her three adult sons and general manager Joel Enciso, is slowly remodeling the restaurant, and she and eldest son Edmundo are showcasing new vegan specials. Both restaurants share the basic menu, plus the originating philosophy and friendly atmosphere. Both use sauces built on old family recipes.

“It’s not scary being vegetarian,” said Chihuahua-born Ivonne, a longtime San Diego resident and vegetarian. “You can have great taste. You don’t have to eat just salads. It’s good to eat vegetarian food warm.”

While she exudes a shy, old-school charm, Ivonne is forward-thinking. Ranchos was one of the first establishments in the campaign to revitalize North Park, which at the time had a high crime rate.

“When we put plants outside, people thought they would be stolen or damaged,” she said, adding that she recently replaced the signature hanging foliage with attractive wooden planters. “But we didn’t have one plant stolen. People knew our intentions were good.”

Those neighborly intentions infuse the restaurant’s menu, with a different locally crafted beer featured each week and relationships with many nearby vegetable and fruit wholesalers.

Edmundo, a vegan and raw food chef, and his mother do the daily shopping, looking for the freshest produce from local sources. He also supervises the separation of meat, fish and vegetarian cooking in the kitchen. Juan Carlos oversees pricing and customer relations; “He’s very charming,” his mother said. Middle son Oscar oversees the catering component.

“We’re known for our tamales,” he said. “People come to us for their parties.”

Both Ivonne and Oscar are pleased about the now-flourishing farm-to-table and vegan/vegetarian movements.

“There used to be two or so farmers markets around here,” Oscar recalled. “But now there are a lot of local markets. It’s a lot easier now — less driving.”

Oscar and Ivonne said most employees at Ranchos in North Park have been with the restaurant for more than five years.

“It’s like a telenovela (soap opera) here,” she said with a big smile. “We’re a big family. Our food is cooked with love.”